The Peach Demon
by Demonwolf
Summary: An Au for 'Like a Bat out of Hell.' Rin is determined that her brother have a good life after the death of their parents. But between cruel aunts, a giant peach, and her own destructive instincts, she may not be able to do it alone.
1. Chapter 1

**I've wanted to do this for a long time, so I decided to finally sit down and start this fic. This is meant to be an AU for Rin. I wanted to see how well she'd fit into the actual story as well as explore a little more of her life before the events of 'James and the Giant Peach.' So, after this story is finished (which may take some time), feel free to comment on which story you think is better. In the meantime, let's see how this story plays out.**

**Ch. 1**

_Start at the beginning, right? Got 16 years? I doubt it, but, for better or worse, that was when my life began. Still, I think the beginning you're looking for occurred on my younger brother's 6__th__ birthday.  
~_

Rin never slept lying down. As far as she could remember, she had slept sitting up on her bed and then, as she got older, leaning against one of her bedroom walls. She always felt vulnerable sleeping flat on her back, throat exposed to the world. Of course, the world was more than happy to keep its distance from the nearly-grown half-demon, but there was always an exception to the rule.

One of those exceptions cracked open the door of her bedroom now. Rin's pointed ears twitched at the sound, rousing her from her light slumber, but she continued to feign being asleep. This did not deter her early-morning visitor, but then Rin had not expected it to.

"Rin." Rin shifted her body, making her folded wings rustle. She half-opened her amber eyes and peered at her younger half-brother. James, today six years old, was already up and dressed, his light brown hair brushed and his face wreathed in an eager smile.

"_Ohaio_, James-chan," Rin muttered, closing her eyes again.

"Rin!" James knelt down next to his sister and grabbed her hand. "Come on, Rin. You promised!"

"I did?" Rin kept her eyes closed. "I thought I promised to take you flying on your birthday."

"It is my birthday." Rin yawned.

"No, your birthday's next week." James giggled, still holding onto Rin's clawed hand.

"No, it's today!" Rin opened one eye to stare at James.

"It is?"

"Yes."

In one deft movement, Rin unfurled her wings and pulled James to her, wrapping the two siblings in the leathery appendages.

"As if I'd forget that! Happy Birthday, James!" The little boy laughed and hugged his sister

"Thanks, Rin!" The half-demon set James back down and stood up. Stretching her arms (and by extension, her wings), Rin glanced out her bedroom window. Outside, the seashore was bathed in early morning sunlight, giving the beach a warm glow. The white sand still bore marks from the receding tide and the sea was as smooth as glass. Little white waves whispered over the shore and a few seagulls were hopping about, searching for breakfast.

"What time is it?" Rin asked.

"7:15."

"Couldn't wait, huh?" James shook his head.

"I love flying with you. And Mum said she's okay with you taking me over the ocean now."

"Fair enough." Rin crouched down and held her arms out. "Let's go, then."

James trotted over and grasped his sister's shoulders. Rin felt her brother settle onto her back, his knees lightly squeezing her sides. The half-demon placed her hands on her windowsill, prepared to take off.

"Watch your head and hold on." With a limber leap, Rin jumped through the window and spread her wings. The appendages, firmly attached under her arms and against the sides of her torso, spread fully and caught the air currents. A moment later, both Rin and James were gliding over the sparking blue waters.

"A good day for flying!" Rin called. "The weather must've known it was your birthday!"

"Maybe it did!" James called back. He sat up a little. "Look, a fishing boat!"

_Dammit!_ Sure enough, Rin darted past a small vessel with two older men holding fishing poles. Rin only caught their stunned expressions before she soared past, but James smiled and waved at them. Rin carefully banked away before he could realize the men weren't going to wave back.

"Let's go faster!" Rin called. She felt James grasp her shoulders tightly before putting on a burst of speed and leaving the boat far behind. Soon, the shore was only a dark smudge behind them and Rin allowed herself to drift on the air currents over deeper waters.

"See anything else?" Rin asked. James looked around.

"Oh, look! Fish, a lot of them!"

"_Hai, _I think those are bluefish."

"Like the ones Dad brought home last week?"

"_Hai_ . There must be an abundance of them this year. Huh, we might see a shark if there are so many fish." James sat up and looked around, scanning the horizon.

"I don't see any fins." Rin shrugged and turned around.

"Ah, well, no matter. Who wants to see a shark leaping out at you anyway, right?"

"Right!"

"And I think it's time we headed home. _Okaa-san _and _Keifu_ will be waiting for us."

"And Mum said we're having a party on the beach today!"

"Hmm, a party. Huh, maybe I can catch a few seagulls for that!"

"Rin!"

"No? Oh well, more seagull for me!"  
*******************************************************************************************

"Look! That one looks like a camel." Rin glanced up and saw the cloud her brother was pointing at. Sure enough, it _did_ resemble a camel. Blowing her bangs out of her eyes, Rin looked over at her family. Stretched out on a blanket, James was laying between their mother and Rin's step-father. Miranda Trotter looked over her son's head and met Rin's eyes.

"Thank you," she mouthed, her dark eyes bright with pride. Rin nodded, returning her mother's smile. Miranda Trotter knew that her half-demon daughter preferred to be flying free on such a nice day, but Rin wouldn't have dreamed of missing her brother's birthday. Still, her mother had been through a lot these past sixteen years and Rin knew she hadn't made it easy.

"And can you see the tallest building in the world?" Rin's step-father Henry asked James now. James stared at the sky, his brown eyes narrowing in concentration. Rin's eyes darted from her brother's face to her step-father's. The smile on Henry Trotter's face was full of love as he watched his son scanning the sky and Rin felt a small tug in her chest. Much as she thought Henry was a wonderful man, she remembered her own father looking at her like that. Even twelve years after his death, she still missed him.

"I can't find it," James said now. Miranda leaned over, brushing back a stray dark curl that had slipped out of her kerchief.

"Try looking at it another way," she encouraged.

James sat up and tilted his head slightly. Rin followed suit, staring at the white mass. Oddly enough, the cloud _did_ look like the Empire State Building. Rin had seen pictures of the massive skyscraper and had often wondered what it would be like to leap off the very top of it. She could imagine the rush of air in her ears and the thrill of falling, knowing that she could pull out of the dive and go soaring into the air at anytime. She wondered how many New Yorkers would have heart attacks at the sight.

"That's where we're going." Rin started, jerked from her thoughts. Henry was handing James a New York City travel book, its cover decorated with a picture of the famous building. James's eyes were wide as his father continued.

"We're going a great ship that'll take us across the ocean. And we'll climb to the very top of that building. All of us on top of the world."

_What? What is he talking about? _

"Are there any kids there, like me?" James asked.

"Hundreds of them," Henry assured him. "It's a wonderful place, James. A city where dreams come true." Rin turned away, trying not to listen anymore.

Dreams. Sure.  
*******************************************************************************************

"Rin?" Miranda pushed open the door of her daughter's room. Rin, who had been standing by her window, turned to face her.

"So, New York City?" Miranda sighed, her slim hands brushing of the front of her sundress.

"I know this comes as a surprise-"

"No, really?" Rin crossed her arms and scowled.

"-but we've been talking about this for some time."

"By 'we,' you mean you and Henry, right?"

"Well, yes. We didn't want to worry you."

"So just breaking the news in the middle of James's birthday was the best plan?" Rin snorted and turned away from her mother.

"Rin, we're talking about a vacation."

"Oh joy."

"Come on now, Rin, you looked perfectly interested when Henry was talking about the Empire State Building."

"Actually, I was thinking about jumping off it. It would make for a fantastic flying experience."

"Rin, you'd give people heart attacks!"

"You think I could really do it?"

"Oh for Heaven's sake!" Miranda rubbed her temples. "Rin, we're talking about going on a family vacation to New York City."

"Exactly! Flying off the Empire State Building would be fine if I didn't have to stay in the city! Remember London?"

"Yes, I remember London."

"Remember how I hated the noise? The smell? The people?"

"Rin, you were five. And we had to go there to settle your father's-" Miranda stopped mid-sentence. Rin bit her lip, not daring herself to speak. Miranda took a deep breath.

"You have a lot more control over yourself now. You're so much stronger, sweetheart, and we're going to New York to enjoy ourselves, not because of…. because of business."

"_Hai_, I know," Rin muttered.

"And New York has Central Park. It's quite large and I think you'd enjoy that."

"I guess."

"And like I said, it's only a vacation."

"A vacation filled with crowds and crowds of people. My favorite thing." Rin's voice dripped with sarcasm as she turned away again.

"And something you're going to have to get used to." Miranda shook her head and crossed the room to place her hands on her daughter's shoulders.

"I know large crowds make you uncomfortable, but you can't isolate yourself from the world. That's not living, Rin, that's shutting yourself off. I want you and James to know more of the world outside of a little village on the seashore and a vacation is a good place to start. And you don't have to dive headfirst into crowds. But I do want you to at least try and be a little social. Who knows; you may make friends too."

_Yeah, right_. But Rin held her tongue as she looked back at her mother. Miranda looked so sincere about Rin making friends that the half-demon didn't have the heart to correct her. Her mother still clung to the hope that Rin would be able to fit in with human girls her own age, a hope Rin had herself long abandoned.

"Besides," Miranda added now. "You know James will want you to be there."

"No," Rin countered with a half-hearted grin. "He'll want to drag me all over the city so I can see it with him."

Miranda laughed. "Very true. Well, that'll be fun, won't it?"

"I guess."  
~

_So, that was the beginning of our plan to go to New York. Unfortunately, that plan would never come to be._


	2. Chapter 2

**Ch. 2**

_Our trip to New York was set for the summer. In the meantime, there was still daily life to contend with.  
~_

Rin woke up late on Monday, as usual. Stretching her arms above her head, she listened to her mother moving about downstairs. A single chime came from the family's clock, one Rin knew indicated the half-hour mark. Glancing out her window, Rin judged it must be about 1:30; the sun was not quite overhead and she could hear the squawks of well-fed seagulls, fresh from pestering restaurants for scraps.

Rubbing her eyes, Rin left her room and stumbled into the bathroom. Blinking away the last of her sleep, the half-demon surveyed her reflection. Her short brown hair was tousled from leaning against her wall and her clothing was more than a little rumpled. With a shrug, Rin reached for her toothbrush and scrubbed both her fangs and human teeth. The minty taste of the toothpaste awakened her taste buds and her stomach rumbled. Rin spit out the toothpaste and splashed water on her face, not bothering with soap. She'd spend most of the day outside; she could bathe properly later. The half-demon studied her hair again and raked her claws through the light brown strands. Good enough!

As for her clothing well, a few tugs on her sleeveless shirt and the dark red material didn't look too bad. Rin tightened the small belt that kept the slit garment from slipping out of her knee-length shorts. There, she was ready!

As she might have guessed, her mother was in the kitchen, having her second lunch-time cup of tea. Her dark curly hair was loose around her shoulders and she was garbed in a light lavender dress. She looked up from her book as her daughter entered, her lips curved in a loving smile.

"There you are, Rin! I was wondering if you wanted me to make you a sandwich."

"Thanks, but I heard seagulls outside. You know I can't resist." Miranda Trotter chuckled, looking back at her paperback.

"That I do, dear. Just try not to get feathers caught in your hair again."

"Hey, I can't help it if they struggle! I'll be back in a bit, but I'll probably go out again late." Rin opened the kitchen door leading out onto the beach when her mother's voice stopped her.

"Are going to... to see him?"

"_Hai. _Probably." Rin didn't need to look over her shoulder; she knew the expression on her mother's face all too well.

"Give him my love," Miranda said softly. Rin nodded.

"I will, _Okaa-san. _See you later."

The sand was warm under her bare feet and there was only the hint of a breeze over the ocean. Spreading her wings, the half-demon ran a few paces, then jumped. Within seconds, she was soaring through the clear blue sky, the world of humans far below her.

Rin flapped her wings, shooting through the air like an arrow from a bow. Ahh, this was where she belonged. To hell with walking; Rin may not have been a full bat demon, but she was born to fly!

Ahead, Rin could make out a few dark smudges. Clearer too was the angry squawk of seagulls fighting over some last scrap of bread or meat. One particularly large bird, its feathers creamy white, left the flock and flew towards the half-demon. It was but the work of a moment for Rin to clamp her jaws around the gull's neck and with one expert snap, she had lunch!

Banking around, Rin flew past the dunes and landed in a small grassy field, its center dominated by a large hill. While still technically her family's property, plenty of people walked through this meadow or had picnics here. Rin's mother and stepfather never seemed to mind; Rin herself didn't care so long as said people stayed away from the top of the hill. And considering what was up there, most people did.

Landing at the edge of the hill, Rin dropped the seagull and walked to the center of the hill. Kneeling down, Rin eyed the small wooden structure; a shrine painted red and black, its roof etched with the image of a bat in flight, circled by kanji. Rin eyed the symbols with a practiced eye. _Tomoko Kurosaki. Beloved husband and father. He gave his life so that others would not suffer._

Rin's eyes narrowed. Her mother had chose the epitaph and she had chosen wisely, in Rin's opinion. But the words went unremembered and unappreciated. Indeed, most of her neighbors didn't speak of Tomoko unless they absolutely had to and even then, they often looked afraid to do so. So much for the kind demon who had given his life for them.

"Hello, Father," Rin said. "Mother says hi too. She wanted me to give you her love. But you probably already knew that." Rin paused, unsure of what to say. "James's birthday was last Saturday. He's six now and I took him flying again. He's in school now, so I decided to visit you."

No response came from the shrine. Rin hadn't expected one, but even after so many visits to her father's resting place, the silence still felt so heavy. What she wouldn't give just to hear Father's voice again, to feel his powerful wings wrapped her, to know that she was safe so long as he was around. But no, Father was gone. He'd been gone for twelve years and wishing wouldn't bring him back.

Oh well, she might as well get on with her day. Standing up, Rin bowed to her father's shrine and then backed away until she'd reached the place where she'd placed the seagull. Only then did she retrieve the dead animal and turn away, striding down the hull and flopping onto the grass.

With her claws, Rin stripped the bird of its feathers and sank her fangs into its thick neck. The gull's body was still warm and the taste of the fresh meat was nothing short of exquisite. The hungry half-demon tore the flesh from the gull in gulps, but took her time picking the bones. Though hollow and easy to crack, Rin always enjoyed chewing on the bones of the seagulls she ate. Hey, it kept her teeth in good shape!

Licking her lips, Rin leaned back against the grass and closed her eyes. Perhaps she'd take a quick nap now and be fresh for some real flying later tonight. Of course, she didn't have to sleep; Rin was more than content to just lay here and savor the isolation.

Unfortunately, said isolation was shattered by the sound of high-pitched laughter and light footsteps. Sitting up, Rin sniffed the air and groaned. Not them!

Sure enough, a troop of girls Rin's age spilled into the meadow from the town side. All of them were clutching books and backpacks; obviously, the schoolgirls had decided to take the shortcut home today. Rin gritted her teeth; how lucky for her.

One familiar girl with curly blond hair and delicate features spotted Rin and halted, her blue eyes widening. Rin stared back, taking in the girl's pastel sundress, patent leather shoes, and blue hair ribbons. Next to Angie Williamson, Rin knew she looked particularly scruffy.

She didn't give one damn!

"What are you doing here?" Angie spat, perfect brows furrowing.

"I was enjoying the peace and quiet," Rin answered. "Guess that's over." She sneered at the other three girls, noting the uncomfortable expressions on their faces. One of them, a dark-haired short girl, dropped her eyes entirely. What a shock.

"Well, then, perhaps you should be going," Angie replied hauntingly. "Goodness, I'd like to know what gives someone like you the right to be here."

Ahh, a battle of wits, was it? This should be interesting. Rin stood up, stretching her wings.

"Well, Angie, that would be the Demon-Human Treaty of 1869." Pausing to regard her enemy's stunned face, Rin continued. "You see, a year after the Boshin War in Japan, an agreement was made between the emperor and the major demon lords. They agreed that in return for the demons not randomly attacking humans, each major demon family would be given specific territories to rule and govern. The treaty also allowed demons to settle in human territories so long as they abided by human laws. And when European settlers came to Japan, the treaty was eventually amended to allow demons to settle in foreign human territories as well."

The girls gaped at the young half-demon, their eyes bulging. Rin grinned at Angie, exposing her fangs.

"Aww, what's wrong, Angie? Did they not teach you that in school? Oh, you're probably still working on colors, right?"

"You... you... I hate you!" Angie's mouth was clearly working faster than her brain.

"Oh trust me, the feeling's mutual. Do tell, Angie, do you still throw rocks at people who outshine you?"

"You... you... monster! That's all you are!"

"At least I'm not a total bitch!" Rin shot back.

"And you have a filthy mouth!" Angie shrieked, striding back to her friends.

"Better a filthy mouth than a filthy personality!" Rin shouted back, waving. Chuckling, she was about to leap back into the air when she heard one of the girls off in the distance.

"Be right back. I have to ask _her _something. My mum's orders." Rin paused. Well, well, this was new. Folding her arms, Rin waited as the short girl re-entered the meadow and stopped short a few feet away from the half-demon.

"Well, Abby, what does your mother want?" Rin asked. Abby fidgeted, looking down at her shoes.

"Oh, I get it. You had something to tell me, but you couldn't act like you wanted to talk to me. Nice." Rin rolled her eyes as Abby began to stammer.

"Look, Rin, what Angie said, she-"

"-meant every word. I'm not new to this, you know."

"Look, I just wanted."

"Abby, save it. We're not friends, we're just neighbors. Unless you have something important to talk about, you can just trot on back to your alpha with your tail between your legs." Abby's face flushed.

"I was just trying to help! You don't know what it's like, knowing that if you say the wrong thing to someone, they'll turn on you in an instant!"

Like I care."

"Well, I do. Not all of us can just waltz through life without worrying about others!" Abby shouted as she too turned away from Rin. The half-demon watched her neighbor vanish down the well-worn path before taking flight. Humph, whatever. If Abby wanted to live her life on the whim of another, that was her problem.

And besides, just because Abby's mother was friends with Rin's mother didn't mean the girls had to go out of their way to be nice to each other. Abby had made that clear a long time ago; Rin had simply followed suit.

Bah, what was she worrying about those stupid girls for? She had to get home! Putting on a burst of speed, Rin spotted her house and dropped out of the sky just as Henry's car came to a halt in the driveway. Together, Henry and James emerged, the later with a huge smile.

"Rin! You're back!"

"How was that for an entrance?" Rin asked returning James's enthusiastic hug.

"I think my heart skipped a beat," Henry answered, but the grin on his face was a dead giveaway.

"Well, fine, I'll pay the doctor's bill." James giggled and took her hand. Rin allowed her younger sibling to pull her toward the house, where their mother was waiting on the front porch.

"Want to see my work from today, Rin?"

"Sure. Lead the way." Rin sighed; giving up afternoon flying hours in order to have James show her his schoolwork?

She was fine with that.  
~

_Looking back on it, I would've gone out of my way to be nice to Angie and the others if it could've prevented what happened next. As it is, I'm just grateful I was wise enough to spend that much time with my family._


End file.
